In 1960 Keats co-wrote My Dog Is Lost, featuring a Hispanic boy newly arrived in New York from Puerto Rico. After the war he studied painting in Paris and became a commercial artist in New York later, illustrating children’s books amongst others. My silent admirer and supplier, he had been torn between his dread of my leading a life of hardship and his real pride in my work.”ĭespite receiving three scholarships, Ezra worked to support his family and took art classes when he could. There in his wallet were worn and tattered newspaper clippings of the notices of the awards I had won. In an interview Keats remembered the day he had to identify his father’s body (who, tragically, died a day before his High School graduation): “I found myself staring deep into his secret feelings. Keats’ parents tried to be supportive of their son’s talent but also worried that he would not be able to make a living from it. He had a strong passion for drawing and painting and won several awards during his school years. He believed that all children should be able to see themselves in the books they love.In 1962 he broke the colour barrier with the mainstream success of The Snowy Day.īorn in New York into a poor Polish Jewish family, Keats was an artistically gifted child. A pioneer of multicultural children’s booksĮzra Jack Keats (1916-1983) is famous for introducing multicultural children’s books into American children’s literature.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |